Gary Jones is a graduate of Chico State University and has been teaching science at New Plymouth High School since 1981. He also coached football, basketball, and varsity baseball at NPHS before retiring from coaching in 1996. His baseball team won a state championship in 1994. In his spare time, he enjoys being a play by play announcer for idahosports.com and for Treasure Valley Community College. His hobbies include golf, hunting, and backpacking. In 2003 he published a hiking guide entitled "Hiking Idaho's Seven Devils". It is available in many outdoor stores in Idaho including the Benchmark, REI, and many others for around $15. You can also order it from him or send him some comments through his email address: jonesgolfs@gmail.com. He and his wife, Penny, never had any children, but raise labrador retrievers instead!

An Amazing Sports ComplexPublished: 12/15/2014 1:27:58 PM

If you haven't seen Middleton's new high school and sports complex, you need to check it out.

I have the privilege of announcing for idahosports.com during basketball season. It’s a job I really have fun with, but I take it seriously. It’s an honor for me to be able to continue to hang around the high school scene after retiring from 32 years of teaching in 2013.

I am going to be doing some Middleton home games during the regular season, among others, and I recently did my first game there last week. If you haven’t seen their new high school, I could use a line from Seinfeld to explain it: “it’s real and it’s spectacular!”

I’ve seen many high schools in my years in Idaho, and I always thought that BK had the best all-around sports complex. Well, move over BK, because I’m putting Middleton in that top spot now. You name the sport and Middleton has honored its athletes well by giving them a first class place in which to play and practice. I’ve heard they even built the only lighted soccer field in the state. Hopefully that’s true and not a rumor.

With fine facilities like that, Middleton will host many district and state games in the future, which is great for the school and certainly the community. Many dollars will end up in Middleton’s economy from these events. And I’ve heard that Middleton is growing fast, and that can be attributed, in part, because of this fine high school and its adjoining sports facilities. If you haven’t seen it, you need to check it out.

I haven’t seen all the schools in Idaho, so if any school out there can rival Middleton, comment below and let us know about your school and its sports facilities.